Tower of Heaven

"Mm," Atlas finally said after a few breaths of silence.

"Is there any more immediate information that could benefit me?"

The clatter of two gold coins falling onto the table between the two was drowned out by the information broker's enthusiastic voice.

"Ah, I see that Sir Customer is curious about the 11th Floor. The trial is indeed quite confusing even if the phrasing makes it sound simple. To hatch your mythical beast, the easiest method is—"

"Wait, I have no need for this information. Provides me with something more substantial," Atlas said, cutting the man off.

The broker clicked his tongue.

"Fine, fine. No need to scare me with formal talk. If you want juicy information, then I have something you'll surely like."

The broker gave a crooked smile indicating his intentions. Rolling his eyes, Atlas placed a few more gold coins on the table.

"Kuhum…!" The broker started.

"Actually, there are two methods to clear the 11th Floor Trial."

"The first is the classic method of raising your mythical beast seed, but the Tower doesn't force people along a single path. For those who do not desire a Beast Companion, there is a second clear method."

Atlas tapped the table annoyedly.

"Get to the point."

"Beast Souls. If you can acquire a Beast Soul, you can pass the trial flawlessly. However, finding a good Beast Soul is far more difficult than the normal clear method."

"I am assuming you are telling me this because there is an opportunity at hand?" Atlas questioned.

The broker nodded.

"Right. A mysterious tomb was discovered roughly 100 kilometers away from the city. A party of experts from five major societies and many other smaller societies is forming at the moment to raid it."

Atlas thought for a moment. Mysterious tombs usually contained a great deal of treasure within. Along with being the resting places of experts, they were also legacies.

"It is true that the best place to find an adequate Beast Soul is a land of treasure. Very well, this is enough. Give me the location of the tomb."

As more gold fell onto the table, the broker's oily grin widened further. He profited more from this one Ascender than he had in the past month as a whole. As such, he gladly told Atlas the location he needed, leading to the end of their conversation.

'He was quite the fine broker. Although he was a money grubber, he provided information worth his price.'

Even if the information Atlas requested was mostly general knowledge, the broker was descriptive enough to paint Atlas a solid picture of how the Tower functioned.

Not only that, but he also provided a method by which Atlas could enter the forming raid party.

'Greivus, was it? I shall remember your name.'

There was no need for Atlas to continue staying in Azure Dragon City. Though his journey to the city took many long hours, he wasn't in the mood to rest at all.

Now was the time for action, and his fatigue wouldn't stop him from achieving what he needed to do. He could rest as much as he wanted to after he successfully joined the raid party.

With this mindset fueling his steps, his 100-kilometer journey to the Mysterious Tomb began.

***

"Haa…haa…this wretched body. I refuse to believe my fatigue could become so terrible after a mere 12 hours of walking."

It wasn't just 12 hours, but 12 hours elapsed since Atlas left Azure Dragon City. In reality, it was over a full day of constant walking that led to his fatigue.

But even this was unacceptable.

As he merged the Heavenly Emperor's memories more thoroughly, he found his assertive personality from his past life taking precedence over his current life.

But it was only natural. Without the Heavenly Emperor's memories, Atlas was a naive child. He needed to embody his past until his present could walk on his own.

The Heavenly Emperor, an existence who achieved the World Core realm in a short few thousand years, the memories of such an existence abhorred his current weakness.

And he acted whilst ignoring it.

'Very well then. The best way to rid myself of this weakness is to continue on as I have. I must thoroughly reshape myself.'

Thinking so, Atlas spread his qi through his body. The feeling of circulation calmed his mind and cleared a small portion of his fatigue.

'Again.'

His body moved despite the cries of his muscles. He walked and walked, covering over twenty kilometers once more. He gritted his teeth, bathed in sweat, and bled from his soles, yet he didn't stop.

He walked and walked. For another ten kilometers, he walked without pause.

But overwork was just as dangerous as laziness. By the time Atlas walked 30 kilometers, his legs physically couldn't move anymore.

His body slumped to the floor despite his will. He found himself in quite the embarrassing position.

"Tch."

Atlas clicked his tongue in unwillingness.

"This must be my limit. I should rest and begin again tomorrow."

Just as Atlas managed to prop himself up against a nearby tree and close his eyes, his weary brain was forced awake again.

Grrr!

The collective growls of a beast pack surrounded him. In the foliage about the forest he was in, glimmering red eyes stared at him hungrily.

Atlas flashed a weak grin.

"What? You wish to attack me at my weakest point? Even mindless beasts can possess false bravado."

The pack of Blade-Horned Wolves naturally couldn't understand Atlas's words. He was collapsed and his vitality was weak, so the wolves took their chance without hesitation.

A group of five separated from the rest and directly pounced, but Atlas only grinned.

These beasts were merely in the Qi Seed Realm. Although he shared this realm with them, his combat prowess far exceeded theirs.

He didn't even deign to spend time dealing with them.

[Flame Wheel]

The wheel of flames he previously conjured appeared around his body. It spun with him as its axis, protecting him like a shield.

And when the wolves finally arrived upon him, they were shredded without mercy.

"Who wishes to go next?" Atlas taunted the remaining wolves. Suddenly, his weak form seemed far more terrifying than they thought.

Awoooo!

With a howl from their leader, the pack of wolves deftly retreated, bringing an end to their small encounter with Atlas.

Perhaps the wolf leader was able to learn a lesson about caution from this experience.

As for Atlas, he went back to relaxing against the tree, a smirk still present on his face.

'It was a good idea to move without using my qi. My reserves are nearly full, so I retain my ability to deal with danger.'

Thinking so, Atlas relaxed and cleared his fatigue. Although other beasts arrived after smelling the blood of the Blade-Horned Wolves, the ever-growing number of corpses around Atlas's vicinity even brought their assaults to a halt.

Thus, he was able to spend half a day resting his tired body.

And immediately after he finished, he returned to his trek. With 70 kilometers to go, he marched with flaming eyes.

Until 4 days later, he finally arrived at his destination.